Roth had kept the gravelfall a secret from the old-timers as a prank, but the two veterans were unfazed. They endured the freefall without so much as a yelp. The only sign they hadn't enjoyed the ride was what they did once they landed.

“Hold him down, Sarg.”

“Wait! Wait! I was just kidding, you guys!” Roth protested.

“This will teach you to respect your elders!” Drake said with a devilish grin, giving Roth a noogie. The metal arm made it hurt more than Roth had expected.

With playtime over, Sarg and Drake turned their attention to the massive cavern. “Amazing,” Sarg muttered.

“This place is huge,” Drake agreed.

The golden mole carried the three men through the gravel until they landed on the rocky shore. Drawn like moths to a flame, Drake and Sarg fixated on the shiny blue flag. “Is this the skill you were telling us about, Roth?” Sarg asked.

“Yes. Inside this cavern, no damage can be dealt.”

“What if I attack the flag? Or try to steal it?” Sarg suggested.

Roth scratched his beard. “I’m not sure.”

“Just in case, I’d suggest not leaving the flag in plain view. The less people know about how your skill works, the better,” Drake advised, studying the crowd of moles in the gravel and on the rocks. “So you’re the king of all these moles now.”

“That’s right. I control their laws, trade, military, and construction.”

Drake nodded thoughtfully. “What kind of things can you have the moles build?”

Roth tapped his foot in thought. “They’re diggers, so I guess we could have them dig tunnels.”

“How large?” Drake pressed.

“I don’t know,” Roth admitted.

Drake grinned. “See if they can dig a tunnel all the way to Greensburg.”

Roth’s eyes widened. “That’s several kilometers of tunnels!”

Sarg chuckled. “How’s that different from this massive cavern or the gravel waterfall? If these moles can make those, one long tunnel shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

“Alright. Let me try.”

Roth grabbed the crown, and a management window opened. He navigated to the construction tab and inserted the command to dig a tunnel from the Molympic Coliseum to Greensburg.

Greensburg Highway is under construction.

Time left until completion: 10d, 3h

Roth was speechless. “It went through. It’ll take ten days, but it’s happening.”

Drake nodded. “Now try having them dig a tunnel to Crownia,” he suggested.

Without hesitation, Roth followed Drake’s suggestion.

Crownia Highway is under construction.

Time left until completion: 32d, 9h

“It’ll take a month, but they’ve accepted.”

Drake rubbed his hands together. “Roth, you might’ve just cracked this game wide open. All that’s left is one final experiment. Tell them to dig a tunnel all the way to the Core.”

Roth gave Drake a long look, realizing where he was going with this. Drake wanted to turn the Molympic Coliseum into a hub, a transit point between regions. While there were other ways to travel between the Green Country and Rock Canyon, getting to the Dark Abyss or the Core was either too expensive or too difficult. If the moles built tunnels linking all these places, the Molympic Coliseum could become one of the most visited spots in AstroTerra.

Roth inserted the command, and the system took a moment to process it.

The Core Highway is under construction.

Time left until completion: 57d, 12h

The moles scattered to begin their work. “They’ve accepted!” Roth exclaimed. But after a few moments, his enthusiasm waned. “However, it’ll take two months.”

Sarg stepped forward. “Go to the military tab and reassign the military to assist with construction. Since there’s no threat of invasion, they might as well help with the digging.”

Roth nodded and did as instructed. The construction time was reduced significantly.

Greensburg Highway is under construction.

Time left until completion: 5d

Crownia Highway is under construction.

Time left until completion: 16d, 4h

The Core Highway is under construction.

Time left until completion: 30d, 14h

After some thought, Roth also decided to commission the construction of a building to conceal the flag and a few more roads.

Monument to the King is under construction.

Time left until completion: 2d

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Sapphira Highway is queued for construction.

Green Woods Highway is queued for construction.

Hilsford Highway is queued for construction.

Roth hit the limit of construction projects that could be assigned. “There, it’s done! After these highways, they’ll also build roads linking this place to Sapphira, Green Woods, and Hilsford.”

“Now go over to laws,” Drake suggested. “See if you can assign ministers, or underlings, or whatever—other players to help manage your kingdom.”

Roth navigated to the laws tab and typed a command into the text box.

UnionArmless Drake has been given control over the construction of the Molian Kingdom.

UnionSergeantSarg has been given control over the military of the Molian Kingdom.

“It works! But it won’t let me give you control over the laws for some reason.”

Drake and Sarg exchanged a knowing look. “I guess we don’t need to set up the Union’s headquarters in the capital now, do we, Captain?” Sarg said with a smirk.

“Haha, you saw right through me.”

“Wait, are you—”

“Yes. We’re going to move the entire Union here. You mentioned that the more people in your sanctuary, the stronger you become, right?”

“Uh… I’m not sure if the skill includes players. Give me a moment.”

Tribute (Sanctuary Upgrade)

Description: There is a price to peace. Only by chipping in a little of their strength can the sanctuary prevail.

Effects: You gain 0.1% stats of all inhabitants of your safe zones.

“The description text only says inhabitants.”

“So it doesn’t specify that it has to be NPCs. It’s worth a shot,” Sarg suggested.

“Sarg, call everyone in the Union here. There’s a lot of work to do to turn this place into the new capital of AstroTerra.”

Drake and Sarg were off to the sides, each making calls to different members of the Union and leaving Roth dumbfounded. He had known that Drake and Sarg would have good suggestions on how to better use his privileges as king of the moles, but he had never imagined that they would want to turn this place into the new center of AstroTerra.

He couldn’t help but feel excited about the idea. What if this place became crowded with powerful NPCs and players? Then, he might just be able to reach the top 10 in the rankings. Maybe his dream of breaking out of his rigged pod wasn’t too far away.

Anyway, Roth could turn his attention to the next objective with Drake and Sarg left in charge of this place. It was time to claim his prize in Sapphira. He grabbed the orb that took him to the Rock Lizard Lair, just outside Sapphira, and disappeared from the Molympic Coliseum.

*

Kulvar Lindstor had dark circles under his eyes, feeling like he’d aged ten years overnight. First, the greenhouse disaster, then the war, and now a crippling heist. Last night’s theft couldn’t have come at a worse time. But Kulvar knew he had to stay sharp for this unexpected visitor.

He scrutinized the man sitting across from him with a furrowed brow. No matter how much he shifted in his chair, he couldn’t find a comfortable position in the presence of this imposing figure. The taskmaster, usually relaxed, had her hand hovering over her saber since the fox-man entered the room.

His guest was one of the tallest Kulvar had ever encountered. He commanded the room effortlessly as if this office were his domain. He reminded Kulvar a bit of his son, though not even O'Shaughnessy could fill a space with such an intimidating aura.

Pax’s features were sharp—whiskers and a slightly elongated nose, giving him a vulpine appearance and marking him as a mutant. Whether that was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen. The Lindstors had funded numerous genetic and cybernetic experiments over the years—often cruel and unforgiving. Failed experiments had appeared on their doorstep more than once, seeking revenge. In those instances, the taskmaster would quietly escort them to their graves. But this man, Pax, didn’t seem to harbor a grudge. He appeared calm, with no intention of causing trouble.

“Welcome to my domain,” Kulvar said, instantly regretting it. Initiating the conversation was a sign of eagerness, and eagerness was a weakness. But something about Pax made him feel the need to assert his authority.

“Greetings, Kulvar Lindstor. I’m Pax, and I’m here to do business.”

Kulvar raised an eyebrow. “What kind of business?”

“I want to buy all of your estate in the city,” Pax said, his voice steady.

The taskmaster stepped forward, ready to draw her saber, but Kulvar waved her off, laughing at the statement's absurdity. “You must be joking,” he said.

“I’m not.”

Kulvar swallowed hard. “Do you know how much property I own in this city?”

“Yes. Forty-three floors.”

“Do you know how much that’s worth?”

“Hundreds of millions of gold.”

The man's casual tone made Kulvar’s blood run cold. Could he really have the wealth to back up such confidence? “Even if someone could afford it, I’d never sell. This is my turf. Selling off my estate would be pure folly.”

“I understand why you’d think so,” Pax said, standing and walking toward the balcony. He gazed out at the city as if it was already his, and Kulvar felt a chill. “But this opportunity won’t come around again, Kulvar Lindstor.”

The fox-man’s confidence piqued Kulvar’s interest. “Humor me,” he said, leaning forward slightly.

“You’re at war. Bounties, mercs, battle slaves—they don’t come cheap. Even your deep pockets can’t sustain these expenses for much longer. The Slaver Alliance has shown deeper reserves than you anticipated. You probably thought they’d crumble in a day, but here we are, locked in a costly stalemate—the worst scenario for a businessman like yourself.”

Kulvar clenched his jaw, fighting to keep his anger in check. Pax’s words cut too close to the truth. He couldn’t help but glance at the hidden coffer behind his father’s portrait. Tonight’s heist had only made things worse. He still couldn’t believe the Slaver Alliance had a thief skilled enough to break into his office and rob him. Not even Loki’s upgrades to the security system had been sufficient to keep the thief away.

“But if a billion gold were to fill your coffers,” Pax continued, turning back to face him, “you could end this war swiftly. Tell me, Kulvar Lindstor, how much property does the Slaver Alliance own?”

“About thirty floors,” Kulvar replied, his voice tight.

“Exactly. And once the dust settles and the war ends, whose property do you think those floors will be? Assuming you win, of course.”

Kulvar couldn’t help but smile at the cunning offer. “So, you fund my army, I seize the Slaver Alliance’s property, and I sell you mine in exchange?”

“Precisely. Think about it. You’re not losing anything. You’ll gain property on one hand while selling it on the other. It’s a win-win.”

Kulvar tapped his foot under the desk, glad the wood hid the nervous twitch. His mind was racing. No matter how many rewards he posted for mercenaries, most wanted payment in gold. His funds were already stretched thin even before the heist. Not even his blood-soaked fortune, amassed over decades of slave trading, could sustain the costs of his son’s campaign and this ongoing war.

O'Shaughnessy's relief package and Loki’s donation had been his last hope, but all that money had gone out the window, too. He still hadn’t told Loki about this. What was he going to tell him? He couldn’t afford to make another powerful enemy or for O’Shaughnessy to lose Loki’s backing in the capital. But could he trust Pax’s offer? Or would he be letting a fox into his henhouse?

Pax stepped closer to the desk, his gaze locking onto Kulvar’s. “So? What will it be? Will you accept the chance to win this war, or should I make the same offer to your enemies?”

Kulvar’s heart pounded. This man’s presence was overwhelming, and sweat dripped down his back. “There’s no way I’ll sell you all my estate.”

“At least thirty floors, then. That leaves you with more than ten. And if you conquer the Slaver Alliance’s territory, you’ll hold the largest property in the city.”

“I want three billion for that—one hundred million per floor.”

“Not a chance. I’ll give you half that.”

“That’s preposterous.”

Pax leaned in even closer, his eyes narrowing. “Two billion. You can choose which floors to sell. This is my final offer.”

Kulvar hesitated, weighing his options. He desperately needed the money, especially after last night. Without it, he couldn’t support his son in the capital or quell the unrest in his backyard. Pax’s offer was generous. With an influx of capital, he could end the war quickly and reclaim his territory. Choosing which floors to sell meant he could offload the less valuable properties while keeping the crown jewels.

Pax extended his hand, his eyes never leaving Kulvar’s. “Deal?”

Kulvar wiped his clammy hand on his pants before shaking Pax’s. “Deal.”